Strong Sense of Place | Travel Through Books

India seems committed to being over-the-top in the best way possible. It’s colorful, noisy, crowded, vast, deeply historic, spiritual, vibrantly modern, multi-lingual, and stunningly beautiful. Want to get loud? India is the place for you! Sure, its population of 1.4 billion people might overwhelm you with the sheer crush of humanity, but its cities have an undeniable energy once you’re acclimated. Delhi, the capital, has everything that makes travel great: ancient forts, mosques and temples, leafy parks and botanical gardens, sprawling bazaars, and bustling lanes of street food. Feeling like a quiet retreat? India is the birthplace of yoga and meditation. You could visit Rishikesh, on the bank of the Ganges, to practice asanas in the birthplace of yoga. India is also a fantastic place to shop for jewelry in a market, eat the best curries in the world, browse epic English-language bookstores, wander through centuries-old forts, and, of course, marvel at the Taj Mahal.In this episode, we celebrate the poet Kabir Das, talk about dolphin rights, dig into Salvador Dali’s quirks, and explore India’s Golden Triangle. Then we recommend five great books that took us to India on the page: Loot: A Novel by Tania James City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple Dishoom: Cookery Book and Highly Subjective Guide to Bombay by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar, Naved Nasir The Last Dragoners of Bowbazar by Indra Das The Bandit Queens: A Novel by Parini Shroff For more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other lovely readers who are curious about the world.Transcript of India: The Continent Masquerading as a CountryDo you enjoy our show? Do you want be friends with other (lovely) people who love books and travel? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart and Hip-Hop is History by Quest Love. Then Mel delves into the immersive storytelling, cosplay, and fantastic settings of LARPing. Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart Rob Hart’s Substack Hip-Hop is History by Quest Love Video: Quest Love on CBS Mornings Chaos League website Photos from a previous Sahara Expedition First-hand report from a previous experience of Miskatonic University Transcript of this episode.The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.comJoin our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Substack Patreon Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is New York City the world capital of… everything? It’s sure putting up a good effort.We could talk about how the New York Stock Exchange started under a tree (!) on Wall Street and how NYC is now the financial capital of the world. Billionaires, millionaires, blah blah blah. Let’s talk about what really matters.Like… the best pizza and bagels in the world, the Met and the New York Public Library, art deco skyscrapers and bodega cats, Carnegie Hall, Broadway, Rockefeller Center, and that one place on the corner in Brooklyn with the best Polish pastries. There’s the immediately identifiable New York accent and the 800 or so languages spoken by New Yorkers from all around the world. The City That Never Sleeps is the ultimate melting pot; we’re all better for it.New Yorkers are a unique breed who’ve changed the personality of the city over and over again. Dutch and British settlers named the place, immigrants made it cosmopolitan, the elite of the Gilded Age filled it with skyscrapers, and barriers were busted by the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. And let’s not forget the unnamed good samaritan on the subway who will warn you that the next station is closed so you need to transfer.In this episode, we grab an imaginary coffee to go in a ‘We Are Happy to Serve You’ cup and explore the ultimate bookish day in New York City. In Two Truths and a Lie, we meet the musicians of the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and visit a Brooklyn store where you can buy a can of chutzpah. Then we recommend six great books that took us to New York City on the page, including two graphic novels, a love letter to ’90s Manhattan, a frothy family saga, historical fiction with a challenging heroine, and a collection of short stories from a master of fiction.Manhattan Beach by Jennifer EganLaserWriter II by Tamara ShopsinOlga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl GonzálezHello, NY by Julia RothmanRoaming by Jillian and Mariko TamakiTable for Two: Fictions by Amor TowlesFor more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit show notes.Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other smart, friendly people who love travel and books.Transcript of New York City: NO! SLEEP! TILL BROOKLYN!Do you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you!Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio. Some effects are provided by soundly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis and The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Then Dave shares a very cool phone trick for tracking your books.LinksThe Main Character by Jaclyn GoldisVideo: Jaclyn Goldis on the Chris Voss PodcastThe Ministry of Time by Kaliane BradleyVideo: Kaliane Bradley’s first TV interview on Good Morning AmericaVideo: How to Convert Image to Text in iPhone & AndroidTranscript of this episode.The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.comJoin our FREE Substack to get our (awesome) newsletter and join in chats with other people who love books and travel.Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Substack Patreon Parts of the Strong Sense of Place podcast are produced in udio! Some effects are provided by soundly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to people in the know, there are two Frances: Paris and the rest of the (alluring, picturesque) country. In this episode, we’re celebrating the châteaux, coastlines, cathedrals, cuisine, mountains, and museums that give France its unique je ne sais quoi.It’s hard to argue with the notion that France offers the best of everything. From scenery and snacks to iconic art, world-changing history, and culture-shaping fashion, it’s practically ground zero for the good things in life. The light is golden. The wine is luscious. The cheese is heavenly, and the scenery is so beautiful, it makes the heart yearn. You can take a road trip or a bike ride among the purple rivers of lavender fields in Provence or the gilt-and-green vineyards in Burgundy. Loll in the sun and splash in the sea along the Riviera — or tour a château where nobles ruled and romanced 500 years ago. Wander the streets and cafés that inspired Vincent Van Gogh, then relax under a shade tree with a perfect baguette and the world’s best butter.In this episode, we take a virtual road trip around France, explore the Bayeux Tapestry, and get curious about an obscure (and deeply romantic) French law. Then we recommend five great books that took us to France on the page.Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier, translated by Polly MackintoshJoan by Katherine J. ChenMurder on the Île Sordou by M.L. LongworthA Woman of No Importance by Sonia PurnellFresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin, translated by Hildegarde SerleFor more on the books we recommend, plus the other cool stuff we talk about, visit our show notes.Sign up for our free Substack to connect with us and other smart, friendly people who love travel and books.Transcript of France: Mostly Here for the ButterDo you enjoy our show? Do you want access to awesome bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon! Strong Sense of Place is an audience-funded endeavor, and we need your support to continue making this show. Get all the info you need right here. Thank you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since we launched Strong Sense of Place in 2020, we’ve produced five seasons — 56 episodes — of the show. We’ve also shared our affection for books through 101 episodes of The Library of Lost Time podcast — and we’ve introduced you to 500 books we love.Thanks to you, we’ve had over one million downloads (!) and, the best part of all, we feel like we’re part of a massive book club filled with the best people. Thank you for that!In this mini-episode, we each looked back through our book recommendations to find our top 10 titles from the first five seasons of the show. Maybe you’ll find your new favorites, too!Find all the book titles and the corresponding podcast episodes on our blog.Transcript of this episode.The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.comDo you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can find us at: Our site Our FREE Substack Instagram Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recently invited our audience to ask us anything, and we got excellent questions in return. The queries ran the gamut from ‘What literary theme park would you design?’ to ‘How do you hope people relate to your show?’ and ‘Are you still thinking about developing tours of bookshops in Europe?’In this mini-episode, we answer those questions and more — including what we do if we find a great book after a show has aired, what the inside of our podcast recording booth looks like, and whether or not Dave is really 6’5". And, due to popular demand, we deliver an update on our cat Smudge.LinksWe answered other popular questions in previous editions of ‘Ask Us Anything,’ including how we met, whether or not we really love everything we recommend, previous jobs, and more. 2020 Ask Us Anything2021 Ask Us AnythingTranscript of this episode.Do you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Season 6 of the Strong Sense of Place podcast starts 24 May!We’ve put together an itinerary of 12 thrilling destinations with a journey to every region of the globe. Pack your (virtual) bags for Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, and two great cities on opposite coasts of the United States. This time, we’re also heading to space (and two other super-fun themes). Get ready to explore customs, history, scenery, food, art, and more — all you need is your curiosity, an open heart, and a favorite spot to read. Click right here to see stunning photos of our Season 6 destinations.Transcript of this episode.The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.comDo you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench & Brendan O’Hea and The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson. Then Dave recommends a website to find new-to-you music.Links Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench & Brendan O’Hea The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson Similar Songs Finder website Transcript of this episode.The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.comDo you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we get excited about two books: Honor the Dead by Amy Tector and Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne. Then, our special guest author, Amy Tector, shares how she starts her day with poems. LinksHonor the Dead: Dominion Archives Mystery #3 by Amy Tector by Amy TectorSociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne Honor the Dead: Dominion Archives Mystery #3 by Amy Tector by Amy TectorSociopath: A Memoir by Patric GagneAmy Tector’s websiteAmy Tector on Substack: Méli-MéloThe Foulest Things: Dominion Archives Mystery #1 by Amy TectorSpeak for the Dead: Dominion Archives Mystery #2 by Amy TectorThe Honeybee Emeralds by Amy TectorLouise Penny Transported Me Home When I Needed it Most — an essay by Amy TectorVideo: Murder and Mayhem in the Canadian Archive w/ Amy, Mel, and DaveTranscript of this episode.The Library of Lost Time is a Strong Sense of Place Production! https://strongsenseofplace.comDo you enjoy our show? Want access to fun bonus content? Please support our work on Patreon. Every little bit helps us keep the show going and makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside - https://www.patreon.com/strongsenseofplaceAs always, you can find us at: Our site Instagram Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices